Category Archives: Parenting

The closure of the previous year and beginning of the new one is generally a great place to start resolutions because it is a transition point. Transition mean letting go of the old and beginning the new. This is the…

* When is it important for parents with different parenting styles to be in agreement: for big things like safety, discipline, religion, etc.? Why or why not? In general, most parents agree on issues. It’s their different styles of delivery…

We are living in a world and time of lightning speed. Our schedules are over-booked and leaving us exhausted and, at times, overwhelmed. Sadly, many of us have short-changed nourishing and nurturing meaningful relationships with those we truly care about.…

Denise Richards wants to give up temporary custody of Charlie Sheen’s “violent” 4 year-old twins, Bob and Max, for their outbursts and aggression toward her daughters and torturing the family dogs. Their mother, Brooke Meuller, has been in and out…

Deal with your anger in the moment. The build-up and surprise factor is the scariest part for your child. When angry, remove yourself, take a short cool-down time, then return and deal with the situation directly and in a…

Why Paying for My Daughter’s College Is My Ultimate Life Goal This desire to give your children as much as possible is something Dr. Fran Walfish, a child and family psychologist and author of “The Self-Aware Parent: Resolving Conflict and…

Separation Anxiety in a child is almost never exclusive. Parents have an emotional reaction and it’s usually strong. Most parents react with a flood of their own anxiety. I define anxiety as fear. The child fears being alone separate from…

Q. Dear Dr. Fran, my wife and I have five children–ages 5 to 13 years-old. Our oldest boy is extremely aggressive and seems to be taking his anger out on his 5-year-old brother. My wife thinks it’s no big deal…

A CHILD psychotherapist and author fears the fourth anniversary of Michael Jackson’s death later this month may have prompted his teenage daughter’s apparent attempt to take her own life. Paris Jackson, 15, was hospitalised following a medical emergency at her…

Here are my top eight most difficult milestones every parent must face. Each one is critical. You will likely transition through each one by holding your spouse/partner’s hand and using trial and error. If you bump up against a wall…

A healthy relationship based on mutual trust is every parent's wish. The bond between infant and parent is a natural phenomenon, but as children reach their preteens and form their own personalities, fireworks between the child and parent can ensue. Drawing on 20 years of clinical experience and new theories on attachment, family therapist and consultant to Parents magazine, Dr. Fran Walfish argues that parents need to distinguish their own personality types in order to make more informed decisions about how they interact and raise their own children.